Engine mounting



J. F. WLFRAM 'Ef AL 2,022,099 v ENGINE MOUNTING Filed Jan. 5, 1935 Y Nov. 26, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fm wia/fm@ Jiu/Mi. (Miki Nov. 26, 1935. J, FA. woLFRAM Er AL '2,022,099

ENGINE MUNTING Filed Jari. 5, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 lll Patented Nov. 26, 1935 I ENGINE MOUNTING Jack F.

Mich., assignors to Ge tion, Detroit, Mich., a corpora Wolfram and Howard'A S. Currier, Lansing,

neral 'Motors Corpora'- tion of Delaware Application January 5, 1935, Serial No. 508 10 Claims. (Cl. 18o-64) gine hood-are held substantially'xedly with ref- -erence to thelv vehicle body, the vehicle occupant This invention relates t the front end construction of motor vehicles and particularly to an improved mounting arrangement of the .various forwardly positioned units.

Conventional motor vehicles involve a chassis or main frame supported upon road wheels to carry forwardly of the bodyan internal combustion engine, an engine cooling radiator and wheel feeders or mud guards. When such units are fastened more or less immovably in the frame, not only is engine vibration transmitted throughout the whole of the vehicle, but also the effects of frame weavingare imposed upon the various associated 'parts and in' `addition the l5 moment of finertia of the frontend is increased audits natural period Aof vibration is low enough that under certain operating 'conditions within the ordinary speed range a` violent shaking or road reaction occurs. To free the parts from damaging strains by reducing disturbing forces, and to render their effects less noticeable, are among the aims of the Ypresent invention. Accordingly, it is proposed in\ a specific embodiment, to brace the upper portion of the radiator structurel andhold it substantially immovable relative to the vehicle body and to mount it, together with the supporting brackets for the front of the fenders, through a cushion connection on the frame which allows 'movement of 'the frame when twisted Without moving and straining the radiator and fenders, and further to divorce the engine from the front of the frame and suspend it instead from the braced upper `portion of the radiator vstructure preferably through vibration insulating joints. The suspension of the engine from the radiator enables the engine connection to be placed at a. convenient point out of interference with the usual accessory drive means at the front of the engine and substantially in line with the engine center of gravity and the rear engine mounting. Thismakes for greater stability and affords an axis of oscillation which approximates the natural axis about which the engine tends to vibrate under 'conditions of high torque load.,A

has 'no perception of'any ordinary relative movementY taking place, but enjoys the delightful sensation -of smooth operation with a feeling of security and an absence of nervous fatigue. The inventior1 will be understood best from an inspection of the wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view vof the `front portion of a motor vehicle chassis, 'with lthe accompanying drawings,

engine and radiator structure mounted therein; Figure 2 is a perspective view, with partsin sec- I tion, viewed at an tional view taken angle to the rear `of the radion line'4-4,of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 5-'5 of Figure 2, and

the engine.

The lchassis frame shown in the drawings in- Figure 6 is adetail sectional volves a pair of longitudinally extending members `l-I,

having a transverse plate-like connection 2 at the front and .an intermediate trans- -verse member 3 vtogether with stiifening bars 4 g5 nested within the main frame members I andeonnected at their forward ends with the front cross member and projected. toward each other beyond the intermediate cross member 3 to provide a substantially X-shaped central reinforcement. Only the forward portion of the chassis frame is illustrated, and this may be supported Vupon the road wheels 5 through a suitable spring suspension system. The suspension system for example may be Volume 61, page like that shown in "Motor", 53, Aprilv 1934, wherein each wheel is independently sprung by being connected with the chassis through a pair of vertically spaced links with a coil spring interposed between the lowermost the chassis.

Superposed above the front frame member 2 and joined therewith by a suitable resilient connection is the radiator and fender supporting structure. In the drawings 1 and' joins them and, as illustrated to the frame cross member 2 particularly in the detail view,I

Figure 5, a pad I0""`of rubber or other similar inavulcanized between a pair of 55 link and the underside of 4o the fender support- 45 wear plates II, is secured by the bolt 9 between the frame and thefender and radiator supporting structure. Weight of the parts and serves to cushion some of the forces which otherwise would be transmitted through the joint but more particularly because of its elasticity, it accommodates relative cooling medium in the usual fashion,v and the whole isenclosed within an ornamental housing orv radiator shell I3. Each leg of the U-shaped member 8 is provided near its top with arearwardly extending ear I4 for mounting the ends of an v'inverted V-shaped framing member I5 extending upwardly and joining in suitable fashion with an anchor plate I6 secured by bolts I1 to the top of the radiator shell. The bracket I6 is provided with a pair of rearwardly extending ears I8- for the attachment of the forward ends of a pair'of diagonally disposed brace rods I'S that diverge rearwardly for connection with the vehicle body dash board 20. By reason of the brace rods 'I9 it will be readily apparent that the upper portion of the radiator structure will be located with reference to the rearwardly spaced vehicle body and held substantially immovable relative thereto.

For supporting the front of the engine from the radiator structure use is made of a suspension rod 2I extending downwardly from the upper portion of the radiator frame to the upper part of the engine located behind the radiator. incorporate a cushion in the front mounting, a pair of rubber pads 22 may be used in the connection between the upper end of the rod 2| and the inverted V member I5. These pads are posi tioned on opposite sides of the member 'I5 and are provided with bearing plates 23, with which engage fastening nuts 24 threaded on the rod. The opposite end of the rod is preferably pivotally connected with the engine, and for this purpose it is shown forked to provide spaced feet 25 through which extend a pivot bolt 26 for mounting an apertured ear 21 between thefeet 25.

Bearing sleeves may be interposed between the pivot bolt andfthe apertured ear or in lieu thereof a rubber 'joint may be used at this place for the purpose of accommodating relative movement.l For convenience the attachment ear 21 is formed on the water pump housing 28 mounted onv the front face of the engine cylinder block. A beltA 29 drives both the water pump and the radiator fan from the drive pulley on the crankshaft in the usual way.

The power plant is 'illustrated in the drawings as including an internal combustionengine 30 to which is fastened as a unit the clutch housing 3| and the transmission or change speed gear housing 32. At the transmission end of the unit a connection to the frame member 3 may be provided and this connection preferably will be in the nature of rubber joints 33 of conventional i design. By this arrangement of parts -a longi- This resilient pad supports thel illustrated in Figure 3, where the point CG may be taken to indicate the location of the center of gravity and the broken line the axis of lsuspension. 'Ihe axis of suspension will be found to lsubstantially coincide with the natural axis about 5 which the engine tends to vibrate when the engine is operated under load,

Because-the radiator structure carries a substantial portion of the engine weight it may be considered desirable Vto connect the ears I4 of the 10 U-shaped frame member by a transverse bar 35' toA hold the radiator receiving frame against spreading. At the same time this frameshould bmgnade sufilciently heavy to properly support theload and because it is made heavy it affords 15 better protection for the comparatively delicate radiator core construction.

By this arrangement of parts it will be seen readily that there is little likelihood of engine vibration being transmitted through the frame 20 f and associated parts and that the engine being frame weaving which is, of course, most pro- 25 nounced at the extreme forward end of the chas- -sis frame throw strains into the radiator and fenders, but is free to occur without carrying with it the radiator and fender structure, because of the flexible connection at the bottom and the rigid 30 brace bars at the upper end.

We claim: 1. In a motor vehicle, a chassis frame, an in- Lternal combustion engine having a tendency to vibrate about a longitudinal axis under certain 35 operating conditionsameans yieldably mounting the rear of the engine, an engine cooling radiator positioned forward of the engine, means mounting said radiator on the frame and extending upwardly above the engine at the front thereof, and 4o an engine supporting member carried by the upper portion of the radiator mounting means and connected to the 4engine adjacent lsaid axis to accommodate in cooperation with said rear mounting means, the turning movement of the engine 45 about said axis.

2. A motor vehicle having associated with itsframe in longitudinal succession, a radiator assembly, an engine assembly, and a body, a yieldable support for the radiator assembly, bracing'sn Vstructure extending above the engine assembly and connecting the top of the yieldably supported radiator assembly with the body and means yieldablymounting the engine assembly, including a weight carrying member between the engine 55 assembly and the radiator assembly, and means movably joining said member toone of said assemblies.

3. Motor vehicle construction having radiator structure connected for relative movement near o0 its bottom with the vehicle frame and braced at its upper end from the vehicle body with an engine adjacent the radiator. and being characterized by engine mounting means including a weight supporting velement connecting the upper 65 portion of the radiator structure and the upper portion of the engine.

4. In combination, lan engine, a frame receiving the engine, radiator structure extending above the frame at one end of the engine, means connecting the frame and radiator structure for relative movement, water ilow connections-between the radiator` structure and the engine and engine supporting means constituting the sole support for the front ofthe engine connecting 'for rela- 75 fra-me, means movably mounting the rear of the engine on the frame, and means constituting a pivotal joint positioned substantially on said axis, connecting the front of the engine to the radiator structure and cooperating with the' rear mounting insupporting the engine for oscillation.

6. A system of engine suspension, including an engine, a frame receiving the engine, a radiator positioned forward of the engine above said frame,

a resilient connection between the rear of the engine and the frame, and weight supporting connection for the front of the engine, including a resilient mounting joining the upper portions' of the engine and radiator.

'7. A motor vehicle having achassls frame. an engine, radiator structure supported on said frame, and means for supporting the engine on "the radiator structme including a downwardly extending weight carrying member pivotally connected with the engine and a cushion connection between said member and radiator structure.

8. In combination, a chassis frame, an engine,

a radiator structure supported by said frame.'A and means supporting. the engine on the radiator structure including a dependentmember movably connected at opposite ends to the radiator structure and the engine;

9. In a motor vehicle, a main frame, an'engine positioned thereiman auxiliary frame' positioned above the main frame forward of the engine and adapted to receive therein the engine 'cooling radiator and to extend upwardly along opposite sides of the radiator, means to suspend the engine,

from .the top of said auxiliary'y frame, and a tie bar connecting the sides of said frame to resist spreading thereof under the weight of the engine.

10.-'In a motor vehicle, the combination with a frame. an engine and a body to be mounted on the frame, of harness structure forward of the body and engine and adapted for the support of an engine cooling radiator and the forward portions of a pair of wheel fenders as a unit therewith, a support connection mounting the harness on the frame for movement relative thereto, bracv ing connections between the upper part of the harness and said body, a resilient mounting4 be-y tween the rear of the engine and the frame and a suspension element depending from said` harness and being pivotally joined tothe front of the engine on a line substantially intersectingthel engine center of gravity and said rear engine mounting.

^ JACK F. WOLFRAM.

HOWARD S. CURRIER. 

